10 Questions You May Have About the Walk in Walt’s Footsteps Tour
Have you done the Walk in Walt’s Disneyland Footsteps Tour? Actually the real question is: have you done it since September 9, 2012? Because it changed! For the better! If you haven’t, you may wonder if it’s right for you. I think it’s a great tour, and the answer is probably a resounding, “Yes, it is right for you!” In my opinion, it’s great even for frequent Disneyland visitors. So here are some details that may help you decide. Keep in mind that all of these details are subject to change. The price could change, attractions could change, yada yada yada. There, we got that out of the way. Read on!
1. When to Book? – You can book this tour 30 days in advance at 8 a.m. Pacific Time by calling 714-781-TOUR (8687). The question is: should you book it that early? And the answer is probably yes. This is a very popular tour these days, and it actually does sell out. So when you are sure you want to do it, book it. If you’re not sure of your plans, on the other hand, don’t book it! It’s non-refundable, and you pay when you book!
2. How Much Moolah? – The price for this tour changed in September when the tour, itself, changed. It’s now $109 a person. The good news is that there are some discounts! Disneyland Annual Passholders, DVC Members, AAA Members, and Disney Visa Cardholders all get a discount that takes the cost down to $87.20. You will also need your own admission into Disneyland for the day.
3. When is the tour? – The tour is currently offered every day! That’s good news if you’re only there for a short stay! It’s offered at 9:30 every morning and lasts about 3 hours, sometimes a little longer.
4. Can I hear? – Are you worried it will be hard to walk around a busy theme park in a group of people and hear what the tour guide is saying? Don’t be. Each guest is given a headset to hear what the guide is saying. The guide also uses the headsets for some audio bonuses. Try not getting goose bumps when the guide plays Walt’s Disneyland opening day speech. And walking through the park hearing music and other spiels from attractions is a great touch.
5. What Will I Hear? – I’ve heard this referred to as a “storytelling tour,” and, in my experience, that is very accurate. Our guide told us so many stories about Walt, I really felt like I was seeing the park from his eyes. I’d heard some of the stories before, but others amazed me. At one point in my recent tour, another guest was near our group and heard one of the stories. She, like several of us on the tour, was wiping away tears from her eyes at the end. She quickly declared she was taking the tour on her next visit. Good choice, random park guest!
6. Do I Get to Go in Club 33? – Yes! Well, kind of! You get to go into the lobby of Club 33. Even the lobby is beautiful. We heard stories about Club 33 and then we were given some time to take pictures in the elevator. I also had time to check in to Club 33 on Facebook and impress all my friends. More value for my tour dollar right there!
7. What’s the Highlight? – This is an easy one. The highlight of the new version of the tour is a visit to Walt’s original apartment in Town Square. The opportunities for the average guests to get into this piece of history are few and far between. Well, here’s your chance. The tour now includes a stop in the hallowed apartment. Guests aren’t allowed to take any pictures of their own, although the tour guide will take one picture of each guest with the guest’s camera.
8. Isn’t 3 Hours a Long Time To Go at Disneyland Without Food? – Um. Yes. So at the end of the tour you are rewarded with your very own lunch! At the beginning of the tour, guests are given a menu with choices, and they place their order. Typically there are sandwiches and salads with chips or fruit on the side. You can also pick a dessert, and the choices are usually a Mickey Chocolate Caramel Tart, Mickey Sugar Cookie, or a Matterhorn Macaroon. Sodas are also included. The food is prepared by the Jolly Holiday Bakery.
9. Isn’t 3 Hours a Long Time to Not Go On Any Rides at Disneyland? – Yes again! Maybe that’s why you do get to enjoy some rides on this tour. Typically you will get to ride Peter Pan’s Flight and it’s a small world and take a trip on the Disneyland Railroad. Anyone who has seen the line at Peter Pan on a busy day knows what a benefit bypassing the line on that one can be!
10. Are There Any Other Extras? – There sure are! At the end of the tour you are given a really neat souvenir pin. The pin depicts the famous lamp from Walt’s apartment, a collectible by any stretch of the imagination. Rumor has it that there is also another special gift that will come in the mail a few weeks after the tour. It’s a surprise!
Have you done the new tour? Do you have any questions about it? Share with us!
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16 Responses to “10 Questions You May Have About the Walk in Walt’s Footsteps Tour”
Thanks or this post! I was already looking forward to taking this tour, but I didn’t know about the Disney Visa discount. The Disneyland website gives very little information about the tours they offer.
Thanks, Lauren! They really don’t have too many details. Glad I could help!
My wife and I took the tour in early February, and while we had the AAA discount, we didn’t feel we got our money’s worth. The problem was that we had a guide-in-training who was very nervous and flubbed some of the stories you mention. This really tainted the experience. I think an easy solution would have been to have the experienced guide who was evaluating him step in to correct mistakes and add missing information.
Oh shoot, that is definitely not the best situation. Hopefully that’s very rare.
When did you get the lamp pin? I went shortly after the new version started in September, and I only got the main pin. I called about it, and they said there was only the one pin. I’m still mad I didn’t get the lamp.
At the very end of the tour! I hate that you didn’t get it.
I’m sorry, when I asked when you got the pin, I meant was it recently, like after my tour in September? If it was, then I’m definitely going to call back and see if I can get the lamp pin. Thanks!
It was actually one of the first few tours, so before yours. Call and check anyway!
I did love the tour, though, and would recommend it to anyone. I had done the tour before the change, and the addition of Walt’s apartment definitely made it worth doing again. And I think I could even go for a third time to see his apartment again. lol
I’m glad you loved it still.
Oh my gosh. We keep saying “we’ll eventually get to Disneyland”. This may have just expidited eventually to next year! (This year is already book.)
Excellent!
The real reason to take the tour is to visit Walt’s Apartment (www.WaltsApartment.com). It’s a special place that has been closed to the public since the days when Walt slept there.
Sadly, the majority of the tour guides barely know more than some of the guests and they aren’t held to the high standards of the great Cicely Rigdon, who started the department at Walt Disney’s behest.
We all love Disneyland but the company has lost the desire to save and preserve the history and heritage that originally made it a special place.
Be sure to visit http://www.WaltsApartment.com to read more, share your stories and pictures of the park.
Agreed! Walt’s apartment is the highlight. We were lucky enough to have a wonderful guide who had a great appreciation of Walt and his legacy. Hopefully there are more guides like that out there!
We’re currently debating between the “Welcome to Disneyland Resort” tour, which has the benefit of being inexpensive, or the “Walk in Walt’s Footsteps” tour, which I’m sure is amazing, but at significant additional cost. Having a real hard time making up my mind, particularly because there is only one day of our trip that the Welcome tour will be available.
That’s a tough decision, Rob. The welcome tour is a great price. The Walk in Walt’s Footsteps Tour has some great benefits. Let us know what you decide!